Department for Work and Pensions DWP Contact Number

You may require telephoning DWP for inquiries related to employment, benefits, pensions, disability carers, child maintenance, personal circumstances changes and much more. The Department for Work and Pensions phone number is open Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

DWP Phone Number

*Calls to 0844 numbers cost 7p/min + your phone company’s access charge. This is a call connection service, the official phone numbers can be found in the public domain at no cost or on the official website. We are not affiliated or associated with any of the government agencies or companies listed on the site, trademarks are property of their respective owners.

It’s likely at some point in your life that you may require to contact DWP. Luckily, the DWP helpline is easily accessible on the above telephone number.

Used by a huge amount of people across the UK every day, the Department for Work and Pensions contact number has a helpline with trained staff to provide the most help and support by answering the most frequently asked questions.

You may want to ask about which pensions schemes are available to you, or to talk about your struggles in finding a job. With a whole host of sub-departments, the Department of Work and Pensions phone number is one of the diverse in the whole of the United Kingdom.

Department for Work and Pensions Departments

The DWP is made up of four core areas, that look after some of the most crucial welfare policies in the UK. These consist of:

• Jobcentre Plus, who is in command of benefits including Jobseekers’ Allowance
• Child Maintenance, who deliver various Child Support schemes in the UK
• Disability and Carers Service, who assist disabled people and their carers with financial support
• Pension Service, agency that pays the Basic State Pension and gives advice on other pension related matters.

Jobcentre Plus

Jobcentre Plus was an organisation in the UK tasked with getting people back into employment. This could be after they have been made redundant, or left a job through other means.

As of October 2011, services offered by the brand of Jobcentre Plus are now offered directly by the Department for Work and Pensions, who continue to use Jobcentre Plus as their public-facing identity. Should you need to contact the Jobcentre Plus, you should do so on the number above.

If you are looking for work, your first point of call should also be the Universal Jobmatch website, which is the most popular job search website in the UK with over one million weekly visitors. The site is powered by Monster.com and can be accessed from any internet-enabled computer, or from your local Jobcentre.

You will be able to find a Jobcentre in every town and city across the United Kingdom, staffed with people looking to help you get employed. In recent years, the level of IT training and support has been increased with more employers looking to recruit online. The Jobcentre Plus stuff will offer free IT training to anyone not skilled enough to use a computer.

The centres are also where you need to go to collect any Jobseekers’ Allowance, and the Department for Work and Pensions encourages you to make as much use of them as possible in your search for employment.

Pension Service

The Pension Service advises on whether or not you qualify for the State Pension, help with payments and processing of pension claims.

You are eligible to receive the State Pension within four months of you reaching the State Pension age.

You can use the helpline number above to get technical support to help you use the Pension website.

Child Maintenance

When you’re separated from your partner and have a child or children to look after, the Child Maintenance Service can be key in making sure you get the financial support you need.

Designed to cover everyday living costs and expenses, Child Maintenance is money paid to you from your ex-partner if you are separated and have to support a child on your own. You may not need to get the Child Maintenance Services involved at all. If you can come to an arrangement with the other party, then this is a ‘family-based arrangement’ and will be organised privately.

If, however, you’re not able to come to an agreement, or reach your ex-partner, then help is at hand.

The Child Maintenance Service can track down a missing partner and arrange that they pay for the costs of raising a child. They can resolve disputes over proper parentage or a child. They are also in charge of setting how much child maintenance should be paid, how it is to be paid, and reviewing the amount of child maintenance paid each year.

As of 2014, the Child Maintenance Service have begun to charge enforcement fees and application charges for their services, so if possible, it’s best you can come to an arrangement with your previous partner.

For any help and advice relating to Child Maintenance, you can call the department on the helpline telephone number above.

Disability and Carers Service

The Disability and Carers service gives financial aid for those who have a disability, and also those who care for those who need it. A key department of the DWP, the Disability and Carers Service arrange benefits including the Disability Living Allowance, Carer’s Allowance and the Attendance Allowance.

What is the Department for Work and Pensions?

The Department for Work and Pensions is the United Kingdom’s largest public serving body, and deals with over 22 million claimants and customers in the country each year. The Department has over 80,000 employees and had an annual budget in 2016 of over £170 billion.

The DWP was started in June 2001 after a merger of multiple departments that previously set employment policy and pensions schemes in the UK. The stated goals of the DWP have always been to help people survive on their own finances, and to reduce poverty in young people and children. The headquarters of the DWP are in London, where the majority of the employees are based.

The largest organisation within the government, it also has the largest budget, eclipsing that of the National Health Service. With an annual budget of hundreds of billions of pounds, it has the widest spend of any other government department by a huge margin.

Contact the Department for Work and Pensions

Postal Address

You can contact your nearest Jobcentre Plus by printing the form and sending it to them: https://www.gov.uk/contact-jobcentre-plus

You can contact your nearest Pension Centre by printing the form and sending it to them: https://www.gov.uk/contact-jobcentre-plus http://pensions-service.direct.gov.uk/en/find-pension-centre/home.asp

Common Department of Work and Pensions FAQs

How can the Department for Work and Pensions help me?

The Department for Work and Pensions provides financial benefits to UK claimants in need of income support.

If your circumstances make it difficult to earn enough money to live or to live independently, the Department for Work and Pensions may be able to help you.

Some of the benefits and services the department provides are; Maintenance Services, Child Support, Carers and Disability Benefits, and Jobcentre Plus offices.

What benefits does the Department for Work and Pensions offer?

The Department for Work and Pensions provides a number of benefits for individuals in financial need.

If you have a disability or you are a carer for a disabled person, you may be eligible for financial aid. There are also a number of benefits available to struggling families and parents.

To view the full list of benefits offered by the Department for Work and Pensions, visit the ‘Benefits A to Z’ page on the Department for Work and Pensions webpage – this can be found via the government website.

Please note: If you are a high-earner, you have a large amount of savings, or your partner can support you, you may not be eligible for benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions. To discuss your situation call the Department of Work and Pensions contact number on this page.

I would like to receive the State Pension – how old do I need to be?

The age at which you can receive a State Pension varies for different people. In general, your State Pension age is usually decided by your date of birth and your gender.

If you would like to find out when you can start receiving a State Pension, simply go to the ‘Check Your State Pension Age’ page on the government website.

You will need to fill in the online form, then you should be informed of the age at which you can retire and claim a State Pension. If you have additional queries call the DWP number on this page.

I want to retire earlier/later than my State Pension age – what next?

At this time, the government does not have a ‘Default Retirement Age’ in place, so you can retire as early or as late as you please.

However, if you choose to retire earlier than the official State Pension age given to you by the government, you will not be able to start claiming your State Pension until you reach that age.

If you choose to retire later than the official State Pension age that you have been given, you may be able to postpone your pension receipt until a later date or you may be able to arrange to receive your pension while working.

Please note: The above information is about the government-issued State Pension. You may still be able to receive a private pension or a pension arranged by your employer earlier/later than your official retirement age. Call the DWP telephone number if you require additional clarification.

What leave or pay am I eligible for after having a baby?

The benefits that mothers and fathers are eligible for will vary slightly depending on the circumstances.

If you are taking Maternity Leave from work, you could be eligible for Statutory Maternity Pay, Statutory Maternity Leave or time off work for antenatal care.

If you are taking Paternity Leave from work, you could be eligible for Statutory Paternity Pay or Statutory Paternity Leave.

If your partner is taking Maternity Leave, you may be able to take Shared Parental Leave – this means your partner can transfer some of their Maternity Leave to you.

If you take leave to have a child through surrogacy or adoption, you may have similar options and benefits available to you.

On top of financial benefits, there may be other kinds of help and support you can receive from the government – to find out more, contact the Department of Work and Pensions number to speak with the customer service team.

It’s important to note, taking Parental Leave should not affect your rights as an employee, such as any pay rises, accumulated holiday and your return to work. If you think that your rights as an employee have been unfairly affected by your Parental Leave, you may want to contact the Department of Work and Pensions telephone number for advice.

How to I claim for Statutory Maternity Pay?

Before you can claim Statutory Maternity Pay, you need to make sure that your employer has been properly informed of all relevant information. For example, you should tell your employer that you are expecting a baby and when you intend to take your Statutory Maternity Leave – this may involve written confirmation and providing proof of pregnancy. The Department for Work and Pensions recommends that employees inform their employer of their leave dates at least 15 weeks before their due date.

Once you have informed your employer of your pregnancy and intended Maternity Leave dates, your employer should confirm the amount of Statutory Maternity Pay you will receive and the period that you will receive it. At the time of writing, employers are expected to inform employees of this information with 28 days of the request for Maternity Pay.

If your employer decides that you are not eligible for Statutory Maternity Pay, they are expected to inform you of this within seven days of your request. Your employer should provide both a valid reason why you are not eligible as well as the official paperwork to confirm this – currently, the required form is the ‘SMP1’ form.

I’m too sick to work – am I eligible for any benefits?

Possibly. Individuals that are too sick to work for over a certain amount of time may be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay.

However, the individual must have worked over a certain amount of time at their workplace, earned above a certain amount of income and be an official employee at the company.

In some cases, employers may have a deadline to inform them of sickness – employees must inform their employer of their sickness before the company deadline.

If the company does not have a deadline, the employee must inform the company of their sickness before the official government deadline.

To find out the government deadline to inform an employer of sickness, contact the Department for Work and Pensions customer service team.

How do I apply for Statutory Sick Pay?

To apply for Statutory Sick Pay, employees should inform their employer of their sickness in writing, making sure to meet the company/government deadline.

In some cases, employees may also have to have written proof of their illness, such as a sick note from their GP.

Please note: At the time of writing, Statutory Sick Pay can be paid for up to 28 weeks. Those who are on any kind of Parental Leave are usually ineligible for Statutory Sick Pay. Some agency workers may be eligible for Statutory Sick Pay.

DWP News

Department for Work and Pensions Policy Updates 2016
You can subscribe to email alerts from any DWP policy: Employment, Welfare reform, State Pension simplification, Poverty and Social Justice, Older people as well as their other policies.

Once signed up to alerts you will receive emails from DWP whenever they make changes to any of their policies and publish documents.

To subscribe to free email alerts, follow the link: https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/employment/email-signup

Review launched to help BME workers progress in their careers
A consultation aimed at helping black and minority ethnic workers has been recently launched by DWP. It aims to help understand and analyse the problems BME people face in the workplace.

Evidence has shown in the past that BME workers are less likely to progress within their careers in comparison to white workers.

This information has led to much concern and a need for further investigation as to why such injustice is occurring in the workplace.

The consultation launched by DWP aims to understand how this can be changed with the government seeking further evidence on personal and economic impact.

A new taskforce has been announced which will help more people with learning disabilities access apprenticeships
DWP’s announcement of a taskforce aimed to help those with disabilities access apprenticeships has come as part of a wider aim to create 3 million apprenticeships by 2020, as well as halve the disability employment gap that currently exists.

In collaboration with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, and the Department for Education, the taskforce will meet 3 times throughout May and June to identify current issues, to explore solutions and finally to form recommendations to ministers.

UK employment rate remains at a record 74.1%
Last month publications showed that UK employment rates have remained at a record 74.1%, with 31.4 million people across the UK in work increasing by 360,000 in the past year.

Work and Pensions Secretary of State Stephen Crabb said: “We remain in a position of strength, with a record employment rate, wages continuing to grow steadily and three-quarters of a million vacancies available in the labour market.

DWP announces extra support for armed forces spouses and civil partners to help protect their State Pension
Earlier this year DWP announced a new National Insurance credit for spouses and civil partners for those who have partners in the armed forces.

Up to 20,000 could be eligible for the new credit if they have previously joined their partner on an overseas posting, which will ensure they don’t miss out on their state pension.

Many people who had chosen to accompany their spouses or partners abroad had reported not being able to find employment, consequently being unable to make National Insurance contributions during this time.

The sort of gaps in National Insurance payments that occur for many people in the situation drastically reduces the amount of state pension they can receive.

The government stated “Our armed forces protect our country and it is only right that in turn, we help protect their partners’ ability to receive the full State Pension when they reach State Pension age. This new credit will help ensure people who choose to support their partners abroad don’t miss out on a good State Pension.”

£300 million childcare boost for hard-working families under Universal Credit

Parents who claim Universal Credit are due to benefit from additional support with their childcare costs, which should make it easier for them to enter employment or increase their working hours. Parents on Universal Credit will have the ability to claim back 85% of their childcare costs when entering work, which is a big increase from the previous 70%.

The increased figure means that working parents with a family of two children will now be eligible to receive £13,000 per year in childcare support under the new Universal Credit system.

Additional DWP Information

See a map, customer survey, slideshow and other supporting documents.

Employment Minister Priti Patel said:

“We want all families to have the chance to get on in their lives, with the security of a regular pay packet that comes with a job. That’s why we are making sure parents can access good-quality childcare. Universal Credit is revolutionising welfare with people moving into work faster and earning more. Increasing childcare support will help break down one of the biggest barriers parents on lower incomes can face when moving off benefits.”

You can access further news and updates at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-work-pensions

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Calls to 0843, 0844 and 0845 numbers cost 7p/min + your phone company’s access charge. This is a call connection service, the official phone numbers can be found in the public domain at no cost or on the official website. We are not affiliated or associated with any of the government agencies or companies listed on the site, trademarks are property of their respective owners.